Cardiac arrhythmia (patient information)
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Charmaine Patel, M.D. [2]
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Cardiac arrhythmia |
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Cardiac arrhythmia On the Web |
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Overview
An arrhythmia is a disorder of the heart rate, pulse, or heart rhythm, such as beating too fast (tachycardia), too slow (bradycardia), or irregularly.
What are the symptoms of cardiac arrhythmia?
When you have an arrhythmia, your heartbeat may be:
- Too slow (bradycardia
- Too quick (tachycardia
- Irregular, uneven or skipping beats
An arrhythmia may be present all of the time or it may come and go. You may or may not feel symptoms when the arrhythmia is present. Or, you may only notice symptoms when you are more active. Symptoms can be very mild, or they may be severe or even life-threatening.
Common symptoms that may occur when the arrhythmia is present include:
What causes cardiac arrhythmia?
Normally, your heart works as a pump that brings blood to the lungs and the rest of the body.To help this happen, your heart has an electrical system that makes sure it contracts (squeezes) in an orderly way.
- The electrical impulse that signals your heart to contract begins in the sinoatrial node (also called the sinus node or SA node). This is your heart's natural pacemaker.
- The signal leaves the SA node and travels though the heart along a set electrical pathway.
- Different nerve messages signal your heart to beat slower or faster.